why I could never be anything other than grateful:

fresh pink daises. phone call with Tom on father's day. understanding the ability to create my own story and knowing that what someone else creates does not have to be my fate. new sheets on my humble full size bed. surprise candy piles on my desk just when I needed them. witnessing a manly man order the "dirty bunny" margarita at El Guapos. following James Harden's Beard on Twitter. flowy skirts, everyday summer. landing an opportunity to be on the pilot episode of a CBS family variety show. listening to Nick’s amazing life tales. laughing, and laughing, and even more laughing. meeting Ian the Tulsa button man. teen pop music playlists. drunk bulldogs. sweet texts from my mommy. monday night's happy hour sushi binge. owning Weston, Mike, Nate & Nick in countless games of arcade basketball. Fassler Hall's summer shandy. looking back one year later at my experiences from Miss USA 2011. exploring new places in downtown Tulsa. reflecting even more on who I strive to be, and what I've learned in life. filling holes in my heart with things I love; my job, my friends, my family. mimosas for breakfast two mornings in a row. meeting summer school students at McClure elementary and listening to them talk about how smart they are. learning about feng shui from Gala. being complimented for intelligence instead of beauty. planning my road trip to Chicago to see Julia with Maile. recognizing that life is too good to me. 

this little grand life-